DEFIANCE’S GROUNDBREAKING TRANSMEDIA INNOVATION CONTINUES AS A CHARACTER FROM SYFY’S HIT SERIES CROSSES OVER INTO THE GAME

All-New Episode of Defiance Airs Tonight @ 9pm ET/PT on Syfy

NEW YORK – May 13, 2013 – Trouble begins immediately when Nolan and Amanda escort the dangerous Irathient Rynn to a Las Vegas prison on tonight’s all-new episode of Syfy’s hit series Defiance@ 9pm. In an innovative approach to storytelling, Rynn’s character will enter the game world, letting loose all new Hellbug enemies on players. This kicks off the game’s “Hellbug Season,” as swarms of the alien monsters are unleashed across the Defiance world. Players will have to defeat the Hellbugs and work together to stop Rynn.

An unprecedented partnership between Syfy and Trion Worlds, Defiance is the first-ever convergence of television and Massive Multiplayer Online gaming, featuring an interconnected world and storylines that will co-exist throughout a scripted drama series and a multiplatform MMO shooter.

Set in the near future, Defiance introduces an exotically transformed planet Earth, its landscapes permanently altered following the sudden – and tumultuous – arrival of seven unique alien races. In this unknown and unpredictable landscape, the richly diverse, newly-formed civilization of humans and aliens must learn to co-exist peacefully. Each week, viewers follow an immersive character drama set in the boom-town of Defiance, which sits atop the ruins of St. Louis, Missouri, while in the game, players experience the new frontier of the San Francisco Bay area.

The series is executive produced by Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives, Caprica, Hellcats), who also serves as showrunner, Michael Taylor (Battlestar Galactica) and Rockne O’Bannon (Farscape). Scott Stewart (Legion, Priest) directed the pilot; Michael Nankin serves as supervising producer/director on the series. Defiance is produced by Universal Cable Productions.

About Syfy

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

About Trion Worlds

Trion Worlds is the leading publisher and developer of premium games for the connected era. Powered by a breakthrough development and publishing platform, Trion is revolutionizing the way games are developed, played and sold. Trion’s world-class team delivers high-quality, dynamic and massively social games operated as live services across the biggest game genres and devices; including the critically acclaimed blockbuster, Rift™ and the highly-anticipated End of Nations™ and Defiance™. Trion is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., with offices in San Diego, Calif., Austin, Texas, and at Trion Worlds Europe in London, UK.
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The Defiance show is getting better and better. Just looking over the Defiance game site, it looks well-constructed with lost of action: it’s tempting.

JFC

Does anyone know anything about how many people are playing the game?

Simon Jester

@JFC – Last week’s renewal announcement said that over 1 million gamers had registered.

SMS

SyFy channel has a lot to make up for as they continue to promote the worst shows. Not to mention their awful first run and repeat syfy movies. Defiance is excellent, hopefully they can retain their attention and keep this type of programing.

The End

@Simon Jester

On all platforms though. That figure is quite low for a shooter. When you have the Call of Duty games hitting 13-15 million sold on one platform.

Boris

I saw really average reviews for this games on Metacritic. And even below fresh ratings for the show. I am staying out of this game/show.

cimmer

@Boris, I’ve tried it out, it’s a little dated already which is a odd. I think the game and the show are inextricably linked in that the existence of the game almost insured a series renewal for 13 eps but if the game can’t pick up then the show’s in trouble. I think they kind of feed off each other and right now they’re both running at ‘really average’. I don’t see more money being poured into the game unless the show picks up.

The End

@cimmer

The game being dated was more an issue of the studio not being hugely experienced. If anything launching a new show that ties into a new game won’t work by it’s very nature. One or the other has to be successful, be it a successful game series, or a successful TV series for any such idea like this to work.

For example a Stargate game done in this manner would do a million times better.

Joe Smith

they can shed the game anytime. i don’t see the show’s success being tied to it at all. if the show does okay then it doesn’t matter.